Shavonte Zellous is Pittsburgh’s leader, averaging 18.1 points per game.Xania Stewart averages 8.9 points and the team’s three-point specialist, Mallorie Winn of San Diego, scores 8.1 points. The guards have faced some of the country’s toughest defenses and Coach Agnus Berenato says they can handle anyone in the tournament. Stanford’s guards, meanwhile, seem to have found comfort behind the steady hand of point guard JJ Hones. With Candice Wiggins and Rosalyn Gold-Onwude dangerous on the wings, the Cardinal is difficult to stop. And Hones usually is good for a couple of three-pointers. EDGE: Stanford.

Frontcourt

Senior Marcedes Walker broke a 29-year-old record to became Pitt’s all-time rebounding leader; she averages 9.6 per game. Walker is the second player in Pitt history to reach the 1,000-point and 1,000-rebound mark. The Panthers rely on the 6-foot-3 Walker underneath, often keeping four players on the perimeter. But that might change to counterbalance Stanford’s 6-foot-4 Jayne Appel and 6-4 Kayla Pedersen. 6-3 freshman Chelsea Cole also might be asked to step in to help Walker. EDGE: Stanford.

Bench

Berenato has used as many as four from her bench after losing starting point guard Jania Sims (9.6 points), who was ruled academically ineligible in January. Freshman guard Taneisha Harrison is fifth in minutes played. And in the first round against Wyoming, sophomore Sophronia Sallard scored a career-high 15 points in reserve. Stanford’s 6-1 Jillian Harmon and 6-0 Jeanette Pohlen played well defensively in the subregional at Maples Pavilion. They have given the Cardinal an energy boost without a perceptible drop-off when in the lineup. Harmon started 31 games last season and can spell the starters at wing or forward now that she has recovered from a foot injury. EDGE: Stanford.

Coaches

The Panthers have won more than 20 games three consecutive seasons as Berenato, the former Georgia Tech coach, has instilled a new spirit at Pitt. For all that Berenato has done, it doesn’t match Tara VanDerveer’s elite program. At Stanford, it’s almost always a disappointment if the Cardinal doesn’t reach the Elite Eight. EDGE: Stanford.

Intangibles

Sixth-seeded Pittsburgh (24-10) was considered big underdogs against No. 3 Baylor. But the Panthers eliminated the 2005 national champions 67-59 to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Pitt plays in the Big East where five teams have advanced to the third round. As a result, the Panthers have experience against rough-and-tumble opponents; they also have sixth-year senior Winn, who has come on strong since replacing Sims at the point. Stanford played like a team possessed in its second-round victory over Texas-El Paso. The Cardinal players say they are focused and excited to escape the pressure of playing at Maples. EDGE: Even.

Bottom line

Pittsburgh has a balanced inside and outside game but if Wiggins comes anywhere close to her 44-point performance against UTEP, it might not matter whom the Cardinal faces this March. EDGE: Stanford.

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